Coimbra Group

Turku, June 12, 2008

Coimbra Group a network of 38 European universities

with typical profile

4 characteristics:• high quality research university • long – established • in university-dominated cities outside capital • comprehensive

(membership by invitation only)

         

Coimbra Group membersAustria: GrazBelgium: Leuven, Louvain-la-NeuveCzech Republic: PragueDenmark: AarhusEstonia: TartuFinland: Åbo, TurkuFrance: Lyon, Montpellier, PoitiersGermany: Göttingen, Heidelberg, Jena, WürzburgGreece: ThessalonikiHungary: BudapestIreland: Galway, Trinity College DublinItaly: Bologna, Padova, Pavia, SienaNorway: BergenPoland: CracowPortugal: CoimbraRomania: IaşiSpain: Barcelona, Granada, SalamancaSweden: UppsalaSwitzerland: GenevaThe Netherlands: Groningen, LeidenUnited Kingdom: Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford

Coimbra Group Origin

- Coimbra Group created as network of universities with similar profilesimilar challenges (strong impact on region, historical buildings...)- 1985 Louvain-la-Neuve & Leuven invite potential network members- 1986 first General Assembly in Coimbra

- CG at origin of European Erasmus Programme still extremely active in Erasmus mobilityannually ~ 16,000 outgoing CG Erasmus students

CG universities “see” ~ 19 % of total annual European Erasmus mobility (total ~150,000)

~ 1/3 of outgoing CG Erasmus students to CG partner universities

[annual survey by Prof. Donà dalle Rose, Padova]

- CG very strongly participating in Erasmus Mundus master programmes23 of the 38 CG universities participate in Erasmus Mundus master programmes

42 out of 104 Erasmus Mundus master courses have one or more CG Universities as partners

From Coimbra GroupMission Statement

The Coimbra Group is committed to the promotion

of academic collaboration between its members

3 levels:• mutual exchange of experience• development of best practice • influencing European policy

Coimbra Group7 Task Forces

• Education, Training and Mobility[+ Career Guidance Working Party]

• Doctoral Studies and Research• Culture, Arts and Humanities• e-Learning

• Eastern Neighbouring Countries• Latin American Countries• ACP countries

Education, Training & Mobility

Mission & Action Points:

• To develop best practice on the implementation of the Bologna reform, internationalization of curricula and degrees, new teaching methods, life long learning, quality assurance…

• To acquire early information about new European educational initiatives and to influence the European educational policy.

• To support the development of joint programmes whenever an added value of such a joint initiative is apparent.

• To promote international staff and student mobility between Coimbra Group universities.

Doctoral studies & ResearchMission & Action Points:

• To share information about the organisation of doctoral studies and research management structures at CG universities.

• To facilitate the mobility of doctoral students by disseminating information among Coimbra Group universities concerning doctoral study programmes and topics for PhD theses in the individual member universities.

• To promote the mutual academic recognition of programme units followed at partner universities or organized jointly.

• • To facilitate joint supervision of doctoral students between

two Coimbra Group partner institutions.

• To share knowledge and experience about the transfer of research outcomes to society and economy.

Culture, Arts and Humanities

Mission & Action Points:

• To highlight, on the basis of the cultural heritage of the Coimbra Group Universities, advanced cultural competence and historical awareness

• To promote widely in our universities artistic creativity and sensitivity to cultural heritage

• To facilitate the exchange of views and information on the role of Arts and Humanities in university education and research on the level of both policymaking and scholarship.

• To follow closely and contribute to European policymaking in education and research and its impact on the Arts and Humanities sector. Special attention will be devoted to the publication and citation analysis methods used by policymakers and their applicability for the Arts and Humanities sector.

Latin America

Mission & Action Points:

• to disseminate knowledge about the CG universities and the European higher education system among partner institutions in Latin America

• improving, among the CG universities, the knowledge about Latin American universities and their scientific and cultural contribution

• facilitate and support collaboration projects between CG members and partners in Latin America.

Latin AmericaIn Practice:• CG scholarship programme for young professors and researchers

from LA universities

scholarships offered from CG universities proper funds 2006: > 300 applications for 30 scholarships

• Agreement signed between Coimbra Group and Montevideo Group (Mercosur) in 2006

Framework agreement (= no obligations but many opportunities)

3 fields of collaboration being worked out:

- Student mobility aiming at academic recognition of studies abroad

- Academic mobility

- Organization of joint Thematic Workshops

Recent Coimbra Group activities

• Position papers on: - European Institute of Technology (2006)

- Doctoral Studies (2007)

- Reply to the Green paper of the European Commission on Research in Europe (2007)

• CG Summer School on Transferable Skills (Bergen, Norway, summer 2007)

• Annual Scholarship programmes– Latin America

– Eastern Neighbouring Countries

– ACP-countries

Recent Coimbra Group activities

• Annual CG Conferences devoted to “hot” topics - Ranking of universities [2006 Tartu]

- Doctoral Studies [2007 Turku/Abo]

- Technology Transfer [2008 Jena]

• Web portals - Erasmus Mundus master programmes in which CG universities are participating

- open doctoral positions and/or doctoral schools at CG universities

Recent EU funded projects

- “raising employers’ awareness of the Bologna Process”

- virtual mobility

- e-learning

- academic contacts with high quality North-American universities

- academic reform in Moroccan universities

- academic collaboration with African universities

These are projects the CG Office is coordinating or participating in

Apart from these: many EU-funded projects among CG universities

Projects in preparation

- Technology transfer - sharing of best practice (with DSR Task Force)

- Alfa III (with LA TF and Montevideo Group)

- Moroccan Universities (Office)

- KOINE (Know-how on guidance and Occupation Improvement through a Network of European universities) [coord: Padova]

- EU-VIP (Enterprise-University Virtual Placements) [e-Learning]

Coimbra Group Office(Brussels)

Inge Knudsen Office Director

Ana Quicy Task Force SupportCatarina Moleiro Task Force Support

Nathalie Sonveaux administrationSerge Ngangue administration

for more information:

www.coimbra-group.eu